1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information reproducing apparatus for tape recording, such as a digital audio tape recorder (hereinafter referred to as a DAT), a video tape recorder (hereinafter referred to as a VTR), etc. for reproducing information recorded in tracks on a recording medium in the shape of a tape, and particularly to an information reproducing apparatus which can read out a tape position rapidly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With a DAT, the tape position information is recorded in a predetermined position on each slant track formed on a magnetic tape. A conventional DAT is arranged such that in order to read the tape position rapidly, a rotary cylinder having a head mounted thereon is adapted to vary its speed dependent on the tape speed so that the tape position information can be read out even if the tape runs at a high speed. We have proposed a method in which the speeds of both the tape and rotary cylinder are changed step by step within a limited range of speed change in an attempt to avoid the overlooking of tape position information even during the time when the tape speed changes from low to high (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 076,188 filed July 21, 1987).
However, such a method requires many steps for adjusting the speeds of the magnetic tape and rotary cylinder, and thus requires relatively complicated system control programs for the microcomputer to give speed instructions of speed to the control circuits for controlling the speeds of the magnetic tape and rotary cylinder.